Packaging

The packaging is nothing exciting, but Zalman did opt for a high contrast black and white design, which is easy on the eyes. The top is just a big black panel with the product name and Zalman logo, while the left side is fairly similar in that it is black. Moving to the front, we look at the cooler itself in all its glory. The text is highly readable, and the ARGB lighting is not overdone to show off the cooler's visual appeal. It is honestly a nice change of pace to get a product box that makes sense.


The back of the box details the Reserator5 Z36's technical specifications, such as radiator size, fan speeds, pump speeds, etc. The right side lists various features, but this panel is not readable at all. The text is broken and unclear, but all it essentially makes a note of is the cooler's features, such as the inclusion of high-performance thermal compound, dual blade water pump, etc. Finally, opening the top reveals a full-color interior flap with an image of the pump all lit up with other ARGB components. While a nice touch compared to a plain cardboard flap, it doesn't contribute anything of value.

Contents

The interior packaging is par the course for what can be expected for all-in-one liquid coolers. Zalman uses a cardboard tray to secure the Reserator5 Z36 with a foam sheet on top. It did the job well enough, but I will forever be a packaging snob by preferring foam for the extra protection it offers.


The cooler supports all current and most past mainstream sockets, including Intel's LGA115x, LGA1200, and LGA1700. On the AMD side, Zalman again supports a wide range of older sockets along with AM4. Only AMD's HEDT socket is left out. That said, the mounting hardware for the Reserator5 Z36, while not complex, has a lot of small parts. It will be interesting to see how that impacts the installation process.

Common parts supplied for mounting include:

• 12x Radiator screws
• 12x Fan screws
• 12x Screw washers
• 8x Mounting clip screws
• 4x Standoff washers
• 4x Standoffs (LGA1200/115x/AM4/AM3)
• 4x Standoffs (LGA2066/2011/2011-V3)
• 4x Fixing bolts
• 4x Backplate side caps
• 4x Backplate nuts
• 4x Mounting bracket screws
• 4x Intel LGA2066 / LGA2011 standoffs
• 4x Intel LGA1700 / LGA1200 / LGA115x standoffs
• 4x Mounting nuts
• 3x 120 mm ARGB fans
• 3x ARGB connection covers
• 1x Universal backplate
• 1x AMD loading block
• 1x Intel loading block
• 1x AMD mounting clips
• 1x Intel mounting brackets
• 1x Tube of thermal paste
• 1x Users manual
• 1x Pump cable
• 1x 3-way fan cable
• 1x Gigabyte ARGB cable